Miami Heat Victory Gives ABC Biggest NBA Finals Ratings Since 2004

Despite an abbreviated final series, the games deliver the highest five-game average in eight years and the second-highest ever on ABC.

It was a short and painful championship series for the Oklahoma City Thunder, which was defeated by LeBron James and the Miami Heat in five games.

But tune-in for the NBA Finals on ABC still delivered the highest five-game average since 2004.

The finals averaged an 11.8 overnight rating, which was the second-highest five-game rating ever on ABC, according to Nielsen. It is up five percent (from an 11.2 rating) compared with the first five games of last year’s NBA Finals between the Heat and the Dallas Mavericks.

Game 5 averaged a 12.6 overnight rating, matching last year’s Game 5 number. In Miami -- where fans saw the Heat lose to Dallas last year -- the game pulled a record 40.3 rating. That’s the highest for an NBA game ever in the market. In Oklahoma City, the game delivered a 39.8.

Full NBA Finals ratings and viewership information will be released later today.